For years, Hinduphobic propagandists continued vilifying the auspicious Hindu symbol of ‘Swastika’ by wrongly equating it with Hakenkreuz or hooked cross—a symbol that represented Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party. Even media organisations partook in this grotesque exercise of defaming the Hindu symbol and comparing it with the emblem that represented one of the most brutal cults that the world had witnessed in the 20th century.
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine intensified, news organisation India Today found an opportunity to slander Hindus while pretending to attack Russian President Vladimir Putin. In a report describing how the letter Z has become Russia’s symbol for war, India Today has said ‘it is the new swastika’ in the headline on 8th March 2022.
In the report that does not lead the reader in any certain direction except the defamation of the Hindu symbol Swastika, India Today alleged that Russia’s symbol of war is nothing but a new ‘Swastika’. Russia’s symbol of war is ‘Z’ but India Today somehow linked it with the Hindu symbol of ‘Swastika’, alleging that the ‘Z’ is a new form of ‘Swastika’. It is worth noting that this is the same modus operandi adopted by Hindumisic propagandists who deliberately link ‘Swastika’ to Hakenkreuz, in order to imply that Hindus are like the Nazis.
“Z” is a letter that Russian Military are putting on their vehicles departing to Ukraine. Some interpret “Z” as “Za pobedy” (for victory). Others – as “Zapad” (West). Anyway, this symbol invented just a few days ago became a symbol of new Russian ideology and national identity pic.twitter.com/iWuBPhhdEb
— Kamil Galeev (@kamilkazani) March 6, 2022
Interestingly, the same report also added that Russians might have used these alphabetic references probably to avoid friendly fire and help Russian troops identify each other. It is notable that even in the era of Nazi Germany, it was not the Hindu symbol Swastika but the Hakenkreuz which had then become the identity of Hitler and his Nazi forces.
The news appeared because of the discussions around the letter Z spotted on Russian tanks and military trucks stationed near the Ukrainian border. While, reportedly, there had been many theories about the meaning of the letter, it must also be noted that Z is not the only letter appearing on the Russian military vehicles. There are also the letters O, X, A, and V on those vehicles. Besides, the letter Z was also seen on the dresses of many Russians. Many schools in Russia have reportedly made their students stand in the formation of the letter Z. Many people have organized flash mobs in the same formation.
To peddle the ‘defame Hindu agenda’ in the headline, India Today has conveniently quoted a tweet by an Australian defence analyst Dr Malcolm Davis in which he has written, “This is really disturbing coming out of Russia. For a country ravaged at the hands of Nazi Germany in the second world war, Russia looks to be following the same path now. Notice the ‘Z’s on their shirts. Not just vehicle identification – it’s the new Swastika. Wake up Europe!!”
This is really disturbing coming out of Russia. For a country ravaged at the hands of Nazi Germany in the second world war, Russia looks to be following the same path now. Notice the ‘Z’s on their shirts. Not just vehicle identification – its the new Swastika. Wake up Europe!! https://t.co/cSwltIa6Lo
— Dr. Malcolm Davis (@Dr_M_Davis) March 7, 2022
Attacking Vladimir Putin, just after quoting this tweet, India Today has also mentioned that ‘the irony gets deeper with Putin calling for “denazification” of Ukraine.’ Moreover, India Today has mentioned the ‘it’s the new swastika’ part of this tweet in the headline of that report ensuring that the Hindu hatred is propagated to a maximum number of people.
Ukraine has a Nazi problem
Ironically, India Today, and for that matter a lot of so-called ‘experts’ who are equating the Russian symbol Z to the Nazi symbol conveniently forget that neo-Nazis are actually a part of the Ukrainian defensive forces. The Azov Batallion had earlier shared pictures of bullets coated with pig fat that they were preparing to use against the Muslim Chechen soldiers who are fighting for Russia.
Over the years, neo-Nazism ideology has not only taken root in the Ukrainian conscience but has also gained the Ukrainian government’s imprimatur.
The logo of the Azov Battalion had Nazi undertones, comprising of two emblems — the Wolfsangel and the Sonnenrad — characterised as neo-Nazi symbols by the Anti-Defamation League. Both these symbols—Wolfsangel and Sonnebrad—have been used extensively by hate groups in different parts of the United States, signifying the Ukrainian group’s impact in motivating supremacist and bigoted organisations around the world.
This is not the first time that the Hindu holy symbol of Swastika has been defamed by the liberal media and the left intelligentsia. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal in 2019 shared an image that depicted a man running behind a ‘Swastika’ shape with a club in his hand, driving out the symbol that is considered holy in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism in India.
